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Former Gator All-American safety Jarvis Williams dies at 45

The Florida Gator football program suffered another loss this week, as former All-American defensive back Jarvis Williams died late Tuesday of an acute asthma attack near his home in Palatka, the medical examiner confirmed. He was 45.

Williams, a 1987 first-team All-American, started 45 consecutive games at UF between 1984 and 1987 and was elected into UF’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. A cornerback in college and safety in the NFL, Williams formed a devastating duo with Louis Oliver, both named first team All-Americans in 1987. They later starred together in the Miami Dolphins’ defensive backfield after the Dolphins drafted Williams in the second round of the 1988 draft and Oliver in the first round of the 1989 draft.

“Jarvis was just a great person. He’d give you the shirt off his back, he was funny as hell, great teammate, great person. There was nothing bad to say about him,” Oliver said by phone Wednesday morning. “He just made the transition from college to professional ball so much easier for me, because he knew the system when I got here.”

Known as “Dip” by his teammates because of an indenture in the top of his head, Oliver said, Williams finished his Florida career with 10 interceptions. He started 72 games for the Dolphins between 1988-93 before playing one last season with the New York Giants, and finished his NFL career with 16 interceptions, including a 42-yard touchdown in 1990 against the Redskins.

Williams is best remembered by Gator fans for delivering a crushing hit on Miami Hurricanes receiver Melvin Bratton during a game in 1986.

“I remember it like it was yesterday – playing it up at UF, Bratton coming over the middle and Jarvis just knocking the s*** out of him,” Oliver said. “But he did that a lot. He did that in practice, he did that at Florida, he did that in games with the Dolphins.”

Oliver last heard from Williams in March and said he was coaching football, among other activities. Williams’ son, Jarvis Jr., is a fullback at Jacksonville University.

“I stopped breathing this morning when I got the news. It’s just a sad day,” Oliver said.

Williams was in the news five years ago when he was shot in the back outside a club near Jacksonville, though police considered him an innocent bystander who had nothing to do with the dispute that led to the shooting.

Williams was the second former Gator football player to pass away this week. On Saturday, former walk-on Lamar Abel, a member of the 2008 national championship team, died after suffering a seizure.